The New York Public Library’s newest branch is going to sparkle like fine crystal.
The W. 53rd St. center will be an airy, vibrant structure with multiple public spaces, modern computer labs, an audio-video collection, and walls of books, library officials said Monday as they unveiled new renderings of the three-story facility designed by Enrique Norten’s TEN Arquitectos.
“We realize that the neighborhood has waited a long time, and we are thrilled to provide this new, state-of-the-art branch,” said Public Library President Tony Marx.
“(It’s) not only beautiful, but designed with flexibility to maximize public space, and serve all members of the community for decades to come,” he said.
The $20 million library, on the site of the former Donnell branch, will comprise the bottom floors of a ritzy new condo-hotel being developed by the Baccarat crystal company and its parent company, Starwood Capital Group, along with Tribeca Associates.
When it opens in 2015, the light-filled branch will include a 141-seat auditorium, a family seating area and children’s reading room on the lowest level, a technology hub with computers, study carols and communal tables.
The 28,000-square-foot facility will be one of largest branches in the NYPL system.
